Collapsible voting-booth.



'W. A. DE SMIDT.

COLLAPSIBLE VOTING B00111.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12. 19I6- Patented 111113 1511917.

WILLIAM A. DE SMIDT, OF CEDAR, GROVE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. DE SMIDT, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

COLLAPSIBLE VOTING-BOOTH.

aaeaea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed August 12, 1916. Serial N 0. 114,530.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Dr SAUJYJ", a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cedar Grove, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Voting-Booths, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in voting booths and other like structures.

It is primarily the object of the present invention to provide a voting booth structure which when not in use may be collapsed along a wall or other support in a manner affording substantially no obstruction thereon, and which when in an extended or operative position affords complete concealment to a person therein.

It is further an object to providea collapsible voting booth including a front curtain and a shelf, wherein, when the booth is collapsed, the shelf and curtain are concealed so that the booth structure in collapsed position presents an attractive appearance.

It is still further an object to provide a collapsible voting booth, embodying the foregoing advantages, which is of an exceedingly simple structure and capable of ready manipulation for its various positions, and further which may be attached to a wall or other surface in a very ready manner.

l/Vith. the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination formation and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings: a

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a serie of collapsible voting booths embodying the present invention, with one of the end booths in open or extended position, and with the other end booth in collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 22 through the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a closed panel section as indicated on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 5 designates the wall of a room or other suitable support, against which is disposed the supporting against the usual mop board 8 of the wall,

with their outer faces flush therewith.

Disposed over the stiles 6, with their lower ends projected therebelow, is a series of facing strips 9 and hinged to these facing strips are panels 10 adapted when swung outwardly to form the walls of the booth sections and adapted to swing inwardly along the wall and to be secured in such inwardly swung position by suitable catches 11 on correspondingstrips 9. By reason of the stiles 6, there is a slight space between these panels and wall in the closed position of said panels. A shelf 12 is hinged to the inner surface of each of the panels with the exception of one endmost panel, and when the panels are swung outward the otherwise free ends of the shelves are engageable with adjacent other panels to support said shelves and to hold the panels in extended position, by means of hooks 13 on said free ends of the shelves and engageable in socket members on the outer faces of the corresponding other panels.

To shield the fronts of the compartments formed by the panels when in extended position, a curtain rod 15, carrying a curtain 16, is secured to an eye member 17 by engagement of a laterally turned portion 18 therein, and this curtain rodis also engageable with an eye member 19 on the uppermost outer corner of an adjacent panel by portion 18 being longer than the end portion 20 whereby it will not be detached by raising the rod therein to detach the portion 20. It will however, be understood that any means of loosely and permanently securing the rod to the shelf carrying panel may be employed, and may for instance comprise a simple eye connection. 7

When the end 20 of the curtain rod is disengaged from the eye 19, it may be swung for securement in an eye 21 on the' inner portion of the shelf carrying face of its corresponding panel.

By the foregoing arrangement, a series of collapsible booth sections have been provided, which may be readily manipulated to extended position affording a series of sufficiently secluded compartments, and which may be folded or collapsed against the wall in a manner presenting a pleasing appearance, inasmuch as in the collapsed'positionof the sections, the shelves and curtains are entirely hidden.

While I have shown and described a series of booth sections, it is obvious that my invention would be as completely embodied in a single booth section, in which instance only one of the panels 10 would carry a curtain and shelf.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible voting booth comprising a supporting wall, a series of spaced stiles secured to said wall, a panel hingedly connected to each of said stiles but one, means five cents each, Washington, I). C.

carried by each panel but one for detachably engaging an adjacent panel to hold them in parallel position at right angles to the Wall and foldable against one panel, the proportionate thickness of the stiles being such that the panel With the means on its inner face may be swung to a position flush with the face of the stiles into inconspicuous position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Cedar Grove, in the county of Sheboygan and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM A. DE SM'IDT. lVitnesses:

Jason LENSINK, Ina LUBBERS.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

